the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

by **Dubster** on Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:44 am

I have just read an article in a history magazine that talks about the garroting that caused much fear in Victorian England (the 1850s).

garroting was a form of violent robbery involving partial strangulation that was allegedly influenced by Spanish and Indian practices. Its an interesting article that notes:
' Being the victim of a garotte attack was depicted as signifying a loss of social standing and masculinity'

and resulted in many various self defence contraptions that included short clubs and neck collars.

This got me thinking - Why is garotting less popular and does it occur in historic CMA & JMA? I can think of the chain with two weights that Japanese Monks used to carry (name eludes me just now) but got the impression they were for swinging rather than strangling.

On the back of this I am also intrigued why clubs have fallen out of favour (or have they) that were a common self defence weapon for sailors etc of Victorian times?

Many thanks

Dubster

by **cerebus** on Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:54 am

One word... Guns.

by **kenneth fish** on Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:04 am

It depends on what you mean by "fallen out of favor". Its one of the tools in the kit in para-recon training, among others. We learned how to use a garrote in Vietnam. I know it is still taught in the military on both sides of the Taiwan strait. Not the sort of thing you do casually though.

by **Ron Panunto** on Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:09 am

It's still a favorite of the mafia.

by **ashe** on Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:59 pm

Dubster wrote: I can think of the chain with two weights that Japanese Monks used to carry (name eludes me just now) but got the impression they were for swinging rather than strangling.

kusari fundo, and it has a lot of uses including grappling.

by **Doc Stier** on Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:18 am

ashe wrote:
Dubster wrote: I can think of the chain with two weights that Japanese Monks used to carry (name eludes me just now) but got the impression they were for swinging rather than strangling.

kusari fundo, and it has a lot of uses including grappling.

This weapon is more commonly known as a Manriki-Gusari.

Here are a couple of examples of many designs marketed today:

http://www.samuraiweapons.org/Manrikigusari_Samurai.php